The Real "Tang Sanzang": How Deeply Have You Misunderstood Him?

When people speak of Tang Sanzang, the image that surfaces in most minds is that of the fragile monk from Journey to the West—someone lacking the strength to even truss a chicken, whose compassion borders on pedantry, who weeps whenever trouble strikes, and who cannot survive without the protection of his disciples. He is often seen as cowardly, timid, and unable to distinguish right from wrong; repeatedly deceived by demons and rescued time and again by Sun Wukong (Monkey King), he seems like little more than a "mascot" on the journey to fetch scriptures.

But did you know? The historical Tang Sanzang is worlds apart from the artistic image penned by Wu Cheng’en. Far from a delicate monk, he was a peerless master monk who braved the Western Regions alone, traveled 50,000 miles on foot over seventeen years, and rewrote the history of Chinese Buddhism through his solitary efforts; he is the man revered by posterity as "Master Xuanzang" (Tripitaka Master).

Becoming a Monk in Youth with Great Aspirations: No Coward

Master Xuanzang’s secular name was Chen Yi. Born in Luoyang, Henan, he was exceptionally intelligent from childhood and possessed a natural root of kindness. At the age of 12, he was officially ordained at Jingtu Temple in Luoyang. In his youth, he devoted himself to study, reading Buddhist scriptures from across the Central Plains. By his early 20s, he was already proficient in Buddhist philosophy and famous throughout Luoyang as a renowned master of Buddhism.

During his deep study of the Dharma, Xuanzang discovered that the Chinese translations of Buddhist scriptures then in circulation were incomplete and that many teachings were contradictory. Different schools held their own views, leaving practitioners confused. He understood that to solve these Buddhist mysteries, he had to travel to the birthplace of Buddhism—Ancient India—to seek the most complete and authentic Sanskrit scriptures.

At that time, the Tang Dynasty had only recently stabilized the empire, and the court strictly forbade citizens from leaving the country privately. Furthermore, the road to the West was fraught with deserts, snow-capped mountains, bandits, and foreign tribes—a journey where survival was a one-in-ten chance. Yet, Xuanzang did not shrink back. He made a grand vow: seeking neither wealth nor stability, even if his body were crushed to pieces, he was determined to bring back the true scriptures, propagate the Right Dharma, and deliver all living beings. This resolve and courage stand in stark contrast to the timid Tang monk portrayed in the novel.

Westward Bound Alone, Walking Ten Thousand Miles Through Hardship

In the first year of Zhenguan (627 AD), the 27-year-old Xuanzang set out from Chang'an on his quest for the Dharma. He lacked the status of being the Emperor’s "sworn brother," had no official travel permits, no white horse entourage, and certainly no disciples like Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, or Sha Wujing to protect him. He traveled entirely alone.

Following the Silk Road, he crossed the Hexi Corridor, passed through over a hundred ancient kingdoms in the Western Regions, scaled snow-capped mountains thousands of meters high, and traversed desolate Gobi deserts. He traveled almost entirely on foot for a total of 50,000 miles. The hardships and dangers he faced were far more real and lethal than the "eighty-one tribulations" found in Journey to the West.

The most dangerous part of his journey was crossing the 800-mile Moheyanqi Desert. Here, the sky was filled with yellow sand, nothing grew, and there were neither birds above nor beasts below. While traveling alone, Xuanzang accidentally spilled his water bag. He went without a drop of water for four days and five nights, suffering from extreme thirst and exhaustion, falling into a coma several times. At the brink of death, he dreamt of a Vajra-warrior appearing and rebuking him: "You have vowed to seek the true scriptures; how can you give up halfway and stop here!"

Awakened from his dream, Xuanzang regained his conviction and dragged his exhausted body forward. The thin, red old horse accompanying him, relying on its familiarity with the desert, carried him for dozens of miles until they finally found a spring, narrowly saving his life.

Beyond the harsh natural environment, human disasters were constant. He was intercepted by bandits multiple times, his belongings were looted, and his life was repeatedly threatened. While passing through foreign tribes in the Western Regions, he was once captured by locals who followed non-Buddhist paths, tied to an altar, and nearly sacrificed to their gods. While crossing snow-capped mountains, he encountered blizzards; amid freezing cold and hunger, many of his companions perished, yet he survived through sheer willpower.

Throughout the journey, he faced death several times, but never once did the thought of giving up cross his mind. Only his obsession with bringing back the true scriptures sustained him through the thorns of the path.

Studying in India, Famed Across the Subcontinent as a Great Master

After years of wandering and hardship, Xuanzang finally reached Ancient India and entered Nalanda University, the highest Buddhist institution of the time. There, he became a student of the hundred-year-old Master Silabhadra. He immersed himself in the study of Sanskrit classics, mastered both Mahayana and Hinayana doctrines, and also studied various secular philosophies.

With his extraordinary talent and hard work, he mastered the essence of Indian Buddhism within a few years. Not only did he understand all the Buddhist scriptures and treatises, but he was also able to synthesize them and expound their profound meanings. After completing his studies, Xuanzang traveled across India lecturing on the Dharma, winning over countless Indian monks and non-Buddhist scholars with his profound knowledge.

At the great "Quinquennial Assembly" (a national Buddhist debate) hosted by King Harshavardhana, Xuanzang served as the principal debater. Facing 18 kings from all over India, over 4,000 eminent Buddhist monks, and more than 2,000 non-Buddhist masters, he spoke eloquently on the truths of the Dharma. For eighteen consecutive days, no one could refute his views. Instantly, Xuanzang's fame shook all of India; he was revered as "Mahayanadeva" (God of the Mahayana) and "Moksadeva" (God of Liberation), becoming a recognized top-tier master in the Indian Buddhist world.

Despite achieving supreme glory in a foreign land, Xuanzang never forgot his original intention. He turned down the persistent requests from various Indian kingdoms to stay and resolutely embarked on his journey home, solely to bring authentic scriptures back to his country and remedy the shortcomings of Buddhism in the Central Plains.

Returning Home to Translate Scriptures: A Legacy for the Ages

In the 19th year of Zhenguan (645 AD), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an with 657 Sanskrit scriptures and hundreds of Buddhist statues and relics. The entire city lined the streets to welcome him, and Emperor Taizong received him personally, filled with admiration.

For the next nineteen years, Xuanzang refused high-ranking government positions and wealth, dedicating himself entirely to the cause of translating Buddhist scriptures. He oversaw the construction of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to store the scriptures he had brought back. Leading his disciples, he worked day and night to translate the texts, completing a total of 1,335 volumes—a word count far exceeding the combined work of all translation masters who followed him.

He also compiled his observations from seventeen years in the West into the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions. This work detailed the geography, history, culture, and customs of over 110 countries across the Western Regions, Central Asia, and India. It remains a precious document for studying the ancient history of Central and South Asia and is a treasure of world cultural history.

Mr. Lu Xun once said: "Since ancient times, we have had people who work in silence, people who work desperately hard, people who petition for the people, and people who sacrifice themselves for the Dharma... these are the backbone of China." Xuanzang is the quintessential model of "sacrificing oneself for the Dharma" and is truly the backbone of China.

He was not the weak Tang monk in the novel who needed his disciples' protection; he was brave, determined, learned, and persistent. He was a great monk who single-handedly overcame tens of thousands of miles of danger to establish immortal merits for Chinese culture and Sino-Indian exchange.

Do not be misled by Journey to the Westany longer. The real Master Xuanzang had no supernatural disciples, yet he used his own feet to carve out a path for the Dharma that shocks both ancient and modern times. His spirit is far more moving than any myth and is more worthy of our eternal remembrance and respect.